Jigglypuff's Diary

“Arriving without a single incident… I wonder how I should interpret that?”

Shinichi was straddling the back of his Gorado when he let out a wry laugh as he looked up at the structure before him—or rather, the massive wall that was the city of ‘Sieb.’

Though he was still over 100 meters away, its sheer majesty already dominated his entire field of vision–a rounded bulwark rising out of the wasteland.

Its colors mimicked the surrounding rocky terrain, but its height and sturdiness were comparable to those of the walls of Olgen.

He estimated that the city’s scale must’ve been roughly three times larger, though he suspected that was more a testament to Olgen being small, essentially a mere dimensional port, rather than Sieb being exceptionally large.

“Shinichi-san, we’ve received clearance from their coordinator. A slope will appear, so please have the Gorado advance.”

“Understood.”

A transmission from the trailer came through as they drew closer.

Masking his momentary hesitation, he looked toward the rock-colored wall.

About five meters above the ground, a plank-like object ten meters wide slid outward.

Shinichi waited for it to touch the earth and form a slope before urging his Gorado to advance.

He headed toward what looked like a solid wall, but as he approached, lines appeared above the slope, and the wall swung outward.

A gap, too large to be called a mere door, opened to let Shinichi and the trailer pass, then it shut tight immediately behind them to prevent the Raybeasts from entering.

As one of the gatekeepers in a simple exoskeleton approached to guide him, Shinichi looked back at the wall to find it completely closed with not the slightest gap to suggest that there was ever a door there.

“Welcome to the Hospitality City, Sieb! You’re the first ones in. I hope you students have a fruitful experience again this year!”

“Thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for us.”

Shinichi responded with a polite smile that would have anyone who actually knew him question what they were seeing.

But as amicable as he was being on the surface, suspicion brewed within.

—The lack of trouble is suspicious… It’s like I’m being lured to go even deeper.

---

The “First Practice Group” that was named according to their departure order, under Aristel’s command, traveled the wasteland from Olgen to Sieb in just one hour and fifty-one minutes, marking for one of the shortest time ever.

As for the countless raybeasts that they had to get through just to get here? In Garesto, something on that level, wasn’t considered a problem. To them, it was just part of everyday life.

“————I see, so that’s what this was about.”

Meanwhile, the young lady came to understand something of her own from directly behind Shinichi.

“You included me in your group because you foresaw this, didn’t you, Shinichi-san?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“A conspicuous result won’t be a problem as long as my name is there to act as cover, is what I mean. The thought of being used makes me feel a bit complicated, but was I helpful?”

“I didn’t put that much thought to it, but it’s true that having the attention redirected to you is a big help.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Shinichi nodded.

For a moment, he thought she’d realized his situation with his younger sister, but it turns out she realized something else.

Indeed, there were many oddities in this trip, from the way the Gorado was so terrified of him that it became docile, and the record-breaking pace of their trip, but all of that failed to draw attention to him thanks to the value of Aristel’s name, who was the next head of the Padyuel family, one of the Ten Great Noble Houses.

While some people certainly noticed Shinichi, who was the rider of the Gorado, at most they just threw jabs and asked if he was planning a career as a “Gorado Rider.”

If not for Aristel’s cover, the abnormality of Shinichi’s record would have drawn far more scrutiny. It was an unexpected benefit of Frire’s arrangements.

However…

“Speaking of which, are you sure you’re okay with standing out given your position?”

“Don’t worry! I’m used to being stared at!”

Despite the weight of his question regarding her status, Aristel spoke very closely from just a touch behind his ear and answered with a voice full of joy.

“…Yeah, this girl isn’t getting it at all, right, buddy?”

“Bu-buoo?!”

The Gorado panicked as if to say, ‘Don’t bring me into this!’

Shinichi had worried she was trying to corner him socially, but she was far too defenseless for that, and too proactive.

“I mean… Everyone was looking at us with wide eyes earlier, weren’t they?”

Shinichi didn’t know whether to be elated or horrified when Aristel brazenly climbed up the Gorado to ride with him in tandem and a certain pair of softness squished against his back.

“It’s only natural for the group leader and the rider to return the Gorado together, though,” she innocently pointed out.

“They’re shocked to find you so naturally clinging to me while we ride together, Lady Aristel! You do understand why that is relevant, right?”

Shinichi was clearly talking about her reputation, though he never quite said that out loud, but right to the very end, Aristel just tilted her head in confusion, while Shinichi kept his eyes on the road. At this rate, he really was going to come down with a headache.

“Oh, but then where else am I supposed to sit?”

“That’s true.”

After all, the Gorado’s skin was rugged and uneven, there really wasn’t anywhere else to sit.

Usually, one would use a saddle, but the Academy hadn’t prepared any, never expecting a student to be “trusted” enough, in this case, feared enough by a Gorado as to actually be able to sit on its back.

Shinichi had only luckily found a spot smooth enough to straddle, and it was only thanks to the foster’s vibration-reduction features that the ride could even be said to be comfortable. Regardless, however, the space remained limited; hence, Aristel needing to press herself firmly against his back.

In that regards, the other students weren’t having an easy time at all. They hitched their Gorados to trailers and were essentially dragged along as the cowardly Gorados tried to bolt.

Since they couldn’t control them and were forbidden from using violence, they were strapped for a rough time.

It was precisely this experience that would foster respect among the students for the Gorado Riders, and it was also the main reason why this exercise was held every year.

As they rode through the multi-purpose lanes of the Outer District, the stares continued. Shinichi couldn’t tell if they were staring because an Earthling boy was riding a Gorado, or because a famous great house princess was riding tandem with a man.

The road was an eight-lane highway filled with specialized vehicles, but the most common “vehicle” was the Gorado-carriage. Despite the heavy traffic, the road didn’t have a single crack and the noise was minimal. It was clearly designed for this purpose.

“Gorados consume less energy than Photon-powered vehicles for transporting people and goods. So the use of them allows us to divert those resources elsewhere, which is why they so stubbornly remain the primary mode of transport for the public,” Aristel explained as she held close to him.

She was happy to play her role as a “tour guide” for Shinichi as they passed a district of long, rectangular buildings that Shinichi found to resemble a warehouse district.

“The Outer District is closest to the ‘outside,’ so it’s mostly military. Those are barracks, armories, and maintenance facilities. As we move inward, you’ll see more civilian infrastructure,” Aristel said.

“Are the buildings shaped the same to simplify manufacturing and maintenance?” Shinichi asked.

“Yes. By unifying the standards, it’s easier to manage and save resources. Even if the occupants change, you don’t need large-scale renovations.”

“I see… So is that also why the Gorado stables are in this district?”

“Most likely. The Tasulag Ranch we borrowed from is a major player in Gorado breeding and has ties to the military. These Gorados are considered a reserve force in case of emergency.”

“Makes sense. A line of these guys charging at once would crush most Raybeasts,” Shinichi remarked.

“There are very few riders who can actually make these cowardly creatures follow such a command, though,” Aristel added with a look that suggested he was one of those few riders.

As they followed the navigation of the foster, the crowd changed. Because of the nature of the place that was as she described, almost no one could be seen around them who looked like a civilian.

Most of the people wore simple yet prestigious-looking gray uniforms, followed by people in various grease-stained coveralls. A quick search would reveal that the former was the Garesto military uniform, while the latter was the standard Garesto workwear.

These were soldiers or laborers or mechanics. Naturally, the majority here were military personnel or those closely affiliated.

While none of them was likely to leak classified information gained through their duties, there was no avoiding rumors.

Shinichi was wearing a pair sunglasses, and they were darker than the usual sort, but even then, they weren’t dark enough to completely conceal his eyes from others.

They were really only intended to reduce the glare of the photon particles, so they couldn’t mask his expression or where his eyes were pointed.

In other words, they couldn’t hide who he was. Given Aristel’s delicate position and his ‘trash-tier’ status, along with the stories he has heard from his childhood friend, and her own still-uncertain position as the next head of the family, this really was no time to enjoy the sensation of that pair of softness against his back.

There would be nothing more foolish than for him to hold her back because of a momentary lapse in judgment.

“…Slow down a bit.”

“Buoo!”

But while Shinichi found it hard to believe that she had yet to realize that, in the end, he got the Gorado to reduce its speed, chuckling to deflect the questioning look that the young lady sent him.

“Shinichi-san?”

“Since we went through all that trouble of getting here before everyone else, we might as well enjoy this for as long as we can, don’t you think?”

He said with a gentle squeeze of her hands that were wrapped around his waist.

“───!!?”

It was just a brief touch, but the sight of Aristel–who had hugged him right from the start on her own volition, no matter how justified that reason was–becoming visibly flustered made him instinctively relax his expression.

Part of that was because he found her reaction amusing, but an even bigger reason was the realization that this was probably what she had been hoping for.

“Alas, I’m a man too,” he muttered to himself.

But even more importantly was that he too had been hoping for just this.

“Did you say something?” Aristel asked.

“It’s nothing,” Shinichi shook his head. “I just meant to say that this warmth is really calming.”

To hold her hands tighter in that exact moment made him quite the bad man, but perhaps, because this was already the second time that he had pulled such a trick, or perhaps because Aristel’s attention was focused on his words, or perhaps because she had realized that they were seeking the same thing, but regardless, Aristel spoke as thought to confirm just that.

“…So even you have times when you crave intimacy, Shinichi-san.”

But despite saying so, not a hint of surprise could be found in her voice, only a trace of joy that they wanted the same thing.

At the sound of those words, which sounded almost like a sigh of relief, Shinichi nodded.

“Plenty of times, actually. Although I was foolish enough not to realize it until coming back, but in the end, a lot of things happened, and now, I just want to lose myself in this warmth.”

“…I think I can relate,” Aristel said with a somber voice.

She buried her face into his back and pulled at him a little tighter.

“…Things just don’t quite go well, do they?” She said quietly.

In response, Shinichi simply held her hand.

The young lady relaxed and gently smiled, but she didn’t say anything more.

Shinichi had some idea of what she was referring to, but since she didn’t specify, he didn’t broach it any further.

What she needed from him wasn’t that, and neither was it cheap consolation, surely, what she needed from him was this warmth, and if that wasn’t enough…

“In that case, allow me to offer a truly terrible advice for our future Lord.”

Yes, such an advice could either be medicine or poison.

“A terrible advice?”

“That’s right. Since you keep grumbling about how things aren’t going quite well, I offer you these words: ‘Remember! As the things you can do increases, so will the things you can’t do! Really the things you can’t do will increase 10x what you can!'”

For some reason, Shinichi spoke with absolute confidence, even going as far as to clench his fist.

It was curious if he meant those words for consolation or for encouragement. Did he mean to say that her worries now were still trivial? No matter, while the young lady was momentarily taken aback, unsure of how to take it, in the next moment, she burst into laughter.

“…Puh! Ha ha ha! T-That certainly is a terrible thing to say. Just when I thought my horizons had finally broadened, to be told that the things I didn’t realize I couldn’t do would stand in my way ten times over, it certainly makes me feel foolish for complaining. But if so, then I have no choice but to take my situation positively. After all, according to your words, if I feel constrained now, then it must be sign that I’ve become capable enough to see that much.”

Good grief, this guy was really such a handful.

In spite of the spring to her voice, there was a hint of reproach to it as well, no doubt because the very person who had broadened her horizons was the one giving her such an advice.

“The fact that you can understand that immediately is exactly why you’re so impressive. Usually, people don’t get it. After all, everyone is already suffering enough for themselves. To understand another’s difficulties is fundamentally impossible. Even experiencing the same thing won’t be enough to allow comprehension.”

“I suppose. And to try and solve someone else’s problems or lament how powerless I am, I suppose both are just as presumptuous.”

She took his words seriously, partly because she was diligent by nature, but also because it reminded her of her childhood friends, who despite experiencing similar things as she did, came to a wildly different conclusion.

“Well, being a Lord means you’re in a position where you have to dare to do it anyway.”

But in the end, after saying all of that, Shinichi threw her problems right back at her.

As a future lord, it was her duty to choose from the countless problems within her territory and solve those over others.

That was the weight of the role that she was duty bound to carry.

So, in her case, such presumption was demanded of her. And she had to be presumptuous enough to decide which problems to solve and presumptuous enough to solve those problems.

After all, it was a rare thing to be able to solve everything conveniently and legally.

“I can’t tell if you’re praising me or cornering me, Shinichi-san!”

Was he telling her that her attitude was good? Or was he warning her of the problems that would soon assault her? Her emotions were a tangled mess after finally recovering her confidence, and she clung to him even tighter, squeezing his hand as if determined to get everything she could from this rare opportunity to hold him in her arms.

“Ku ku, you’re not wrong.”

His hand, only slightly larger than Aristel’s yet covered in countless scars, joyfully accepted the lovely young lady’s selfishness while a wicked grin surfaced on him. She wasn’t the only one enjoying such affectations.

“Hmph, you really are a bad person. I thought you were being kind enough not to pry, but then you go and act like you know everything. The nerve! Seriously, having you be this considerate makes the brave front I put look ridiculous!”

“Ku ku, my bad. If you’ve got a complaint, take it up with the person who dumped all that unnecessary experience into my head.”

It was all to easy to imagine how Aristel must’ve been pouting from the way she spoke.

As for her complaints, Shinichi deflected any and all blame to the Evil God she couldn’t possibly know about; however…

“…What a strange thing to say.”

“Eh?”

But after a brief pause, Aristel tilted her head with a puzzled sound and spoke as though nothing could be more natural.

“You do realize that while that might be the reason you noticed, it isn’t the reason you cared, right?”

“…”

Those were words that Shinichi hadn’t expected in the slightest, but regardless, they resonated deep within his chest, and he found himself momentarily stunned.

A second later, he spoke half-reflexively to deny her accusations.

“Ah, no, I mean… Wouldn’t most people try to be considerate when they notice that something’s wrong?”

“Giggle… You mean, like you were just now?”

“Urgh.”

But such poor defense was immediately cut down by the young lady’s smile.

He had spoken indirectly, even mean-spirited, and it was debatable whether his words could even count as encouragement, but in the end, there was nothing to support his claim that his behavior was a typical sort of consideration that anyone would share for another in trouble; hence, Shinichi was once again at a loss.

“Besides, you’re the one who said it, right? That even with the same experiences, it’s difficult to understand another. If so, then even if people notice the same thing, how they choose to respond will also differ, am I wrong?”

Shinichi could only groan in response.

“Yes, and while I might have pouted a bit like a child at first, the way you support others in such a roundabout manner is truly just like you. Somehow, nothing could be more comforting. Truly,” Aristel smiled bashfully.

—That’s why. I won’t let you get away. No matter what.

Then just beneath that smile whispered those few words quietly.

Her warm breath brushed against his face, and the sheer affection behind it caused even him to feel a flush of red creep into his cheeks.

“Sigh, when you’re like this, even I’m helpless.”

Though Shinichi wasn’t displeased in the slightest, he could only wear a grimace as he tossed out that bit of irony as a final stand of resistance.

In the end, even that last stand was crushed with a few words.

“It’s an honor!” Aristel beamed.